


Shipwreck Isles

by missingnolovefic



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Adenture, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, F/F, F/M, Getting Together, M/M, Magic, Multi, sailor!Gavin, sea witch!Lindsay, shark!Michael, siren!Meg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 19:51:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7282390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingnolovefic/pseuds/missingnolovefic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set adrift in the wake of a shipwreck, Gavin has to trust these fantastical creatures to get home safe. But nothing's ever that easy, and there's more going on here than he could ever have guessed.</p><p>AKA the mavinseg mermaid au I've been meaning to write for ages :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shipwreck Isles

**Author's Note:**

> Big thank you to my amazing betas, [Sinful](http://wash-your-sinful-hands.tumblr.com) and [plaindealingvillainess](http://plaindealingvillainess.tumblr.com)
> 
> Posted on June 23rd for [the mavinseg event 2k16](http://mavinsegtrash.tumblr.com/tagged/free+days)!

Gavin squinted through the spyglass, trying to make out anything amongst the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. The sea broke in huge waves against the ship, nearly tipping them sideways. Gavin clutched the sides of the crow's nest tightly, hunkering down in the hope of not getting thrown off. The spyglass dropped to the floor and rolled across the wood.

"Haul!" the first mate shouted, the crew busily running across the deck below. Gavin checked the knot of his rope securing him to the mast.

They'd tightened the sails down when the wind got worse, but water sloshed over the railing regularly, and Gavin was pretty sure they'd gone off-course. The storm raged on, and Gavin scrabbled after the spyglass, wiping off the glass with his wet shirt. Peering through, he glanced around, trying to make out any landmarks or signs of treacherous terrain. They'd only been half a day offshore when the storm hit, after all.

"See anything, Free?!" the Captain shouted.

Gavin swivelled around, watching the turmoil of the sea. Something splashed starboard, something dark rising and vanishing among the waves. A whale, perhaps?

"Some big fish starboard, sir!" he called down, shrugging. He crouched back down against the low wall of the nest. Curses drifted up from the deck, followed by indistinguishable yelling. The wind howled, like a long-forgotten lullaby, and Gavin shivered.

"Haul port side!" he heard the first mate scream, the rest of his words lost to the wind except for what Gavin was pretty sure was 'sea monster'. He rolled his eyes, turning to look where they're headed next. Another wave crashed into their side, throwing Gavin against the wall of the nest.

"Fuck," he muttered, breath punched out of his gut. With a grunt, he heaved himself back up, lifting the spyglass to look-

"Fuck, fuckity fuck," he cursed, dropping the glass to the floor of the nest.

"Rocks ahead! Turn starboard!" he shouted down, scrambling over the crow's nest to rappel down. Blood rushed through his head, thrumming in his ears, harmonizing with the wind. "There's a cliff ahead, turn!"

He landed on the deck with a thump, taking a risk to untie himself from the rope with numb fingers as he rushed to the railing. Raindrops drummed against the wood, drenching his already wet clothes and hair. The first mate stood there, staring out at the sea.

"Sir!" Gavin snapped, sliding to a stop next to the sailor.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured, eyes focused on the horizon.

"What?" Gavin asked, baffled, following his gaze.

"The melody," the first mate explained, and when Gavin turned to look at him incredulously, there's a dreamy look on the sailor's face. "She has such a beautiful voice. I want-"

With a yearning glance, the sailor started climbing the rail. Gavin yelped, grabbing the first mate by the back of the shirt and yanking him back.

"Sir! What are you-"

A loud crash thundered through the storm, ringing in his ears. Gavin was flung forwards, screaming. His stomach lurched, his hands flying over wood looking for something to hold on-

Pain shot through his leg, his foot tangled in a sling of rope. Then he crashed against the side of the boat, and the pain spread through his skull and back with a loud thud. Gavin gasped and nearly choked in the next moment, as an enormous wave broke over him.

Spluttering, Gavin rubbed the salt out of his eyes, squinting out across the turbulent waters. He heard a faint splash to his left and turned just in time to watch another sailor jump into the water, a blissful look on his face. Up on deck, the men took to humming, the wood splintering as the ship crashed into another rock. The wind howled and the rain drummed, a triumphant song.

As another wave engulfed him, Gavin fancied he could hear voices singing in the distance.

Shaking his head and spitting out water, he bent himself in half, trying to reach the rope clinging to his leg. He was swinging sideways, the ship tipping in the other direction, giving him a few seconds to catch his breath as it slanted to the other side. Gavin barely caught the rope, fingers twisting around it desperately, and he scarcely managed to free his foot before the ship turned back right side up.

He slipped and plummeted a couple feet before he caught himself, hands burning from gripping the slick rope too tightly. Tilting his head back, he noticed the captain leaning over the rail, calling to someone. Turning his head, he just caught a glimpse of a grey fin, and his blood ran cold.

_Sharks._

He took a shallow breath, the world growing hazy as he struggled up the rope. He yelled at the captain, but he seemed distracted, his movements sluggish. Another wave crashed over the deck, and Gavin watched in horror as it pulled the captain with it into the depths of the ocean.

 _It’s hopeless_. He might as well let go. The song of the sea swelled in victory, a hundred voices thundering like the crashing waves breaking the ship apart. His fingers were numb with cold, the rope slippery wet. He was hurting all over. _Just let go_ , the voice coaxed soothingly, _it’s easy, see?_

The rope snapped, and the sea reached up to embrace him as he fell to certain death.

 

* * *

 

The Shipwreck Isles had a certain reputation. Their name was well earned, considering the treacherous crags and rocks littering the bays. Many ships ran afoul of these over time, and fewer sailors would risk it every year. Only the foolish and adventurous dared to breach the tricky way towards land.

Gavin loved it.

He grew up sheltered in the British Isles on grand tales of pirates and treasures far beyond imagination. Bored of idle hands and wagging tongues, he’d run away at a young age and stowed away on a brig. He was found soon enough, but the captain of the ship gave him a chance to stay so long as he pulled his weight.

Three years later he first discovered Cragshaven.

Connecting to the largest bay of the Shipwreck Isles, Cragshaven was a relatively poor port town. The inhabitants mostly lived from their own farmlands and what fish they could catch in the shallower waters. Trade was a rare occurrence, and any ship that made it through the reefs was as celebrated as its occupants were eyed with distrust.

Gavin was lucky that he met Geoff and Burnie.

Geoff was one of those local fishermen and could be found most nights drinking at a bar after sundown. Gavin ran into him on his second visit to the island, still gaping like a tourist at the bizarre town. Literally ran into him. Somehow he managed to talk himself out of trouble with the frowning man and ended up helping bring in his haul of the day. They hit it off immediately.

The next time he visited, Geoff introduced him to Burnie.

Burnie ran a small row of businesses, including Geoff’s favourite bar. The man took one look at Gavin and then promptly started mothering the kid. Gavin had watched wide-eyed, and with soft protests that went unheeded he was fed by the older man daily. Stubbornly, he’d returned the favour by helping out at the shop during the day or running errands whenever he went off to other cities.

And he kept returning to them during his land visits.

Somehow, he found himself with friends. And they’d warned him against taking off that fateful day, dark mutters about weather signs and gathering crows. Gavin hadn’t paid them any mind, waving off their concerns as old superstitions. And despite their worried nagging, he’d been determined to enjoy the sea again after sticking around town for almost two months.

After all, what’s the worse that could happen?

 

* * *

 

He was floating. That was the first thing he noticed, how the world flowed around him softly. He blinked, and it was mostly dark, except for wavering spots of light on dark green and blue. Like staring at the surface of the ocean, he thought. He opened his mouth to say something-

Bubbles escaped him, and Gavin was choking, he couldn’t breathe-

A face appeared before his, but he could barely make out the shape of a nose, the lips were moving… A faint murmur reached his ears, but he couldn’t make out any words. The figure seemed concerned, leaning in. Everything started going black, and he began flailing in panic- Air, he needed air-

The world faded slowly, darkness creeping in on the edges. Fingers squeezed his nose shut, and he struggled weakly, mouth opening in an attempt to yell-

Lips descended on his, warm and wet, and Gavin gasped as air was pushed into him. He closed his mouth and opened his eyes, taking in the dark curls floating in the water, he was underwater, he couldn’t breathe because- Oh.

The lips lingered, the stranger staring at him as he was tugged upwards, or maybe forwards, Gavin wasn’t sure which way was up anymore. They broke the surface, and Gavin heaved a huge breath, then started coughing up water immediately. Clutching to the shoulders of his savior, he spat out water, coughing and shuddering. Hacking up a lung, it felt like.

They drifted for a while, the soft waves pushing and pulling at them. Gavin stretched his legs, trying to stand on his own, only to find there were no rocks or sand the stranger was standing on. His grip tightened on the other’s shoulders as he turned his head wildly, no land within sight except for sharp cliffs jutting skywards. The storm had passed, he noticed hysterically, the sea was calm again.

Gavin took a deep, shuddering breath. No sign of the ship, or floating wood indicating a wreck.

Turning to face the stranger, he took the man in for the first time. Wet curls were plastered to his forehead, brown eyes examining him curiously. Dark grey scars stood in stark contrast to pale skin at the side of his throat. His gaze trailed along their path and further down his torso.

His very, _very_ naked chest.

Gavin blushed, eyes snapping back up immediately. The other man was smirking at him, one eyebrow arched and eyes dancing in amusement. Gavin cleared his throat.

“Thanks,” he said, averting his gaze. “For saving me back there.”

“Sure, no problem,” the stranger replied awkwardly, shifting his grip on Gavin’s waist. Gavin flushed a darker red.

“I’m Gavin, by the way,” he blurted out for lack of anything else to say. He smiled winningly.

“Michael,” the other man introduced himself, returning the smile with a grin of his own. His teeth seemed rather sharp.

Gavin blinked.

“So uh,” he said, looking around furtively, “What now? I mean-” He took one hand off his shoulder to gesture around them. “Doesn’t look like there’s land close by, or anything.”

Michael tilted his head, watching Gavin curiously. He bit his lip, thinking for a moment before nodding decisively.

“There’s a cove over there, beyond the reef.” He nodded his head in the direction. Gavin frowned.

“How far?” he asked tentatively, wincing. “I’m not at my best, I can’t say how long I can swim, and I’d really rather neither of us drowned, after you went to all this trouble fishing me out and all.”

Michael’s brows flew up and vanished under his wet hair. He looked from Gavin into the distance and back. Then realization dawned on his face, and he fidgeted awkwardly.

“I, um, I can carry you there. Just climb on,” Michael said, sinking until his chin touched the water. When Gavin simply stared at him, he waved his hand at him impatiently. “C’mon, it’ll be faster.”

Gavin’s eyes followed his gaze, and he bit his lower lip. He couldn’t even see the beach Michael was talking about. The man might just be able to get himself there, but if he had to drag Gavin’s dead-weight along? He wasn’t kidding about his own fatigue, nearly drowning tended to have that kind of an effect on any person. If he stayed here he’d drown for sure. But...

Michael huffed, clearly fed up with the other’s indecision, before he suddenly dove beneath the surface. Gavin let go of his shoulders with a yelp, trashing around to keep afloat.

Something closed around his ankle and _tugged_. Gavin kicked his leg, startled, eyes wide in panic. Throwing his weight in the opposite direction with all his might, Gavin gasped as his head sunk underwater due to his struggles. Something scaly hit his side hard, causing him to swallow a mouthful of water in surprise.

He reached out blindly, desperately, his fingers curling around warm flesh, an arm, _Michael-_

A body pressed up underneath his, and they surged forwards, breaking the surface with a spray of water. Gavin held on for dear life as a tail splashed through the water behind him and they took off at incredible speed. He wrapped his legs around the thing under him as well as he could, consisting of mostly just clenching his knees hard against the sides.

Something was poking his stomach uncomfortably.

Gavin looked down, hands scrabbling for the body under him, pushing himself upright. He could make out the humanoid figure a couple feet underwater, recognized the curls and broad shoulders. Michael.

He didn’t come up for air.

Swallowing, Gavin gathered his courage and looked behind him. A light grey fishtail parted the water, powerful muscles propelling them forwards. He turned back around, eyes wandering along Michael’s spine. Just where Gavin was straddling the other ...man? There was a fin. Like a shark fin.

Gavin stared blankly.

Michael was… What? A mermaid? But- they didn’t exist. And in the tales they weren’t _male_. Or sharks.

He was riding a sharkmaid. Sharkman?

It was rather different from riding a horse. The thought flashed through his mind, and Gavin laughed out loud, a touch hysterical. Michael twitched between his legs, his body gliding through the water effortlessly. Soon Gavin could see the rocks surrounding the cove, the spot of land closer to an open cave than a bay.

When they only had a couple more miles to go, he could hear voices echo in the distance. They sounded vaguely familiar, and Gavin froze, entranced. They were _singing_.

Suddenly, Michael resurfaced. Gavin lost his balance, arms windmilling furiously. He dropped into the sea with a splash, and Michael had to fish him out again with a huff. The merman glowered at him with his arms crossed over his chest. The effect was somewhat hindered by their proximity, as Gavin clung onto him with his legs wrapped around his tail tightly. He wiped the wet hair out of his face, blinking owlishly.

“Michael!” Gavin protested, “What was that for?”

“Don’t listen to them,” Michael grunted, glaring off in the direction of the cove.

“Huh?” Gavin followed his gaze, confused. “Oh! You mean the song? Why? It’s pretty, innit?”

Michael’s glower intensified. “They’re sirens,” he explained gruffly. “They enchant human males with their voices until their heads are spinning so hard, they willingly leap to their deaths.”

“Is that what happened to my ship?” Gavin wondered, loosening his grip on Michael a little. The other man paused, then shrugged.

“Probably, yeah. Sirens love luring sailors in during storms.” Michael shook his head, adding under his breath, “Fucking hate ‘em.”

Gavin stared at the merman, noticing how those grey scars flared out in his annoyance. Were those gills?

Gavin shook his head, trying to focus. The melody was in the back of his mind, tempting him. Now that he knew, he recognized it in the crashing waves and sailors’ humming as their ship sunk. In hindsight he should have guessed - the first mate’s behavior showed all the classic symptoms.

Except he hadn’t believed in sirens or mermaids before today. Just old yarn, he’d thought.

“So anyway,” Michael continued after a long pause. “Try not to listen to them, okay?”

Gavin gave the other an incredulous look, but nodded. “I’ll try.”

 

* * *

 

“Well, well, look what the shark dragged in!” Meg crowed, hoisting herself up on one of the rocks littering the shallow water of the cove. Her purple scales gleamed in the sunlight.

“Shut the fuck up,” Michael growled, baring his sharp teeth at her. Clinging to him, the blond human stared at her with wide eyes.

Meg smiled beatifically, flicking her tail in interest. Humming, she leaned in, cradling his face in her hands. His green eyes glazed over, and she trilled a short laugh. She tapped a long, sharp nail against his cheek, tracing her finger down and over his lips. His mouth dropped open slightly.

“What a pretty pet,” Meg purred. She curled her fingers under his chin, and he followed her cue, leaning forward.

“You’re pretty,” he blurted out. A heartbeat later, he blushed furiously, jerking back. He spluttered, “I mean-”

Blinking, Meg let her hands drop. She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing. The human avoided her gaze, his cheeks dark red. Michael huffed in annoyance. Tugging the blond closer to his side, he threw her another glare. Meg slipped back down into the water, trying to catch the human’s eyes. His face lacked the usual enthralled look, despite her brethren harmonizing at the other end of the shore.

How… unexpected.

“Uh,” Meg stumbled, carding a hand through her wet hair. It had been a while since she’d gotten such a genuine compliment. “Um. Thanks?”

“You’re… welcome?” the human replied hesitantly, peeking up at her from under his blond fringe.

“Fucking great,” Michael groused, but his firm hold on the blond loosened a little. “What do you want, Meg?”

“Just curious what you brought home with you, since, you know. You don’t normally do that,” Meg said, her shoulders rising and sinking in a half-shrug. She turned back to the human, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. “Hi. I’m Meg. What’s your name, pet?”

“Uh, yeah, hi. I’m Gavin, nice to meet you,” the human mumbled, ducking his head. Meg mustered him curiously. He was kinda cute for a twolegger, and she could see why some of the other mercreatures might save something so adorable, but Michael? That seemed rather out of character for him. Unless…

“D’you know where Lindsay’s at?” Michael interrupted them brusquely, his gills flaring in agitation.

“She stayed in for the concert, as far as I know,” Meg replied, letting it go for now. “Want me to keep an eye on your pet while you go get her?”

“Can’t you just get her for me?” he asked plaintively, frowning. Reluctant to leave the human out of his sight, perhaps? Curiouser and curiouser.

“I could,” she answered easily, poking his chest with a sharp nail. “But you’d owe me.”

“What, I won’t owe you for looking after this idiot?” He pointed at the human, and Meg trilled a laugh. The blond’s eyes unfocused at the sound for just a second.

“Oh, but watching him is half the fun,” she said, batting her eyes at Gavin.

Michael huffed in irritation, his tail smacking into hers. Meg pouted, drifting up close to the boys. The blond watched her with wide eyes, and Michael maneuvered himself between them protectively. She watched them shrewdly, her expression turning serious.

“You’re not subtle Michael,” Meg warned him under her breath. “More importantly, you’re a _shark._ They find a human with you, it’s game over. They find him with me?” She put on her best vacant smile, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Well, damn, I’m a siren. It’s in my nature to play with humans.”

Michael looked pained, but nodded in concession. She had a point, after all.

“Just… make sure he’s safe?”

Meg’s features softened, and she reached out for his webbed hand and squeezed it. Gavin’s eyes flicked between them, brow furrowed worriedly.

“I will,” she promised. She wrapped an arm around the human’s chest, and Michael let go of him reluctantly. “Hurry up and find Lindsay.”

 

* * *

 

Lindsay’s Grotto wasn’t far from the cove, and one of the few homes around here to have both a level above and below the surface. With good reason, too - Lindsay was a sea witch.

Magic wielders were rare among merfolk, widely feared and revered in equal measures. They tended to mingle with humans too much to properly fit in with the other water-dwellers. Snide remarks behind their backs and disgust that anyone would prefer legs to a tail even part-time came up in conversations frequently. However, their magic was too useful for common disdain to stand in the way of business.

Their services were highly sought after, and the favors paid in turn costly.

Michael was convinced Lindsay charged horrendous prices out of spite, for the slander and disgust she had to deal with daily. Hopefully she’d make an exception in this case - Lindsay was weirdly fond of humans, and Michael intended to milk her sympathy for what it was worth.

Bad enough Meg had gotten involved, now he’d indebt himself to a witch for a _human_.

“Lindsay?” he called, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible. “Linds, you here?”

There was a crash deeper in the cave, echoing through the grotto above. A curse followed, and Michael rolled his eyes. Lindsay stuck her head through the surface, her red hair fanning out to frame her face. Michael felt a tug in his chest, heart beating faster at the sight of her squinting down at him.

She was breathtaking, as always.

“Michael? What are you doing here?” Lindsay asked, dropping headfirst into the water. As she drifted down her legs were enveloped in a warm glow. The light faded, leaving her with a dark red tail with sandy highlights.

“I need your help,” Michael admitted grudgingly, crossing his arms over his chest and averting his eyes. His tail twitched from side to side.

“What did you do?” Lindsay groaned, sinking down to the sand and perching on her tail.

“Nothing!” Michael sputtered, diving down to meet her at the bottom. “Why is it always my fault?”

“Uh, because it usually is?” she teased, waggling her brows. Michael snorted disbelievingly, tapping his fingers on his elbow impatiently.

“Yeah, right, Ms. Innocence,” he said pointedly. He shook his head, telling himself to focus. “Seriously, though, I need a favour.”

Lindsay’s smug smirk vanished. She scowled at Michael, crossing her arms under her bosom.

“You know I don’t mix business with pleasure, Michael,” she chided, “A spell’s gonna cost you, like everybody else.”

Michael nodded, face completely serious.

“I know, Linds. But I don’t trust anyone else with this…” he trailed off, conflicted. His hands were clenched into fists in his lap.

Lindsay observed him carefully. He met her piercing gaze only reluctantly, afraid what she might discern. She frowned and tugged her hair behind her ear, though it floated upwards again immediately.

“Alright, ‘fess up. What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

Michael sighed. “There’s this human-”

“Wait,” Lindsay spluttered incredulously, sitting up straight and wide-eyed. “Hold on a second. A human? You and a human?”

“He fell into my lap!” Michael protested, throwing up his hands. “Literally!”

“Right,” Lindsay said carefully, staring at him.

“From the ship the sirens lured in,” Michael clarified, annoyed and crossed his arms again defensively.

“Oooh.” Lindsay lit up, grinning widely. “That makes more sense!”

Michael gave her a dark look. “This is not a revenge thing,” he grumbled, nails biting into his forearm. Lindsay arched her eyebrows and tilted her head skeptically.

“Not anymore,”  he conceded grudgingly, frowning. “Maybe before… When I saw him, I felt this tug in my chest. I don’t know…” He stared at her helplessly.

“You think he-?” Lindsay asked, looking troubled. Michael shrugged.

“Maybe? I’m not sure.” He uncrossed his arms and rolled his shoulders. “Will you help me?”

Lindsay frowned, but nodded. “Of course. What did you have in mind?”

“I dunno. Something to keep him here, so we can make sure whether…” He waved his hand vaguely.

Lindsay chewed on her lower lip, thinking. Michael fidgeted, pushing up from the sand and swimming circles around her in agitation. Irritated, she pointed a finger at him. A hot stream of water shot forward, zapping him in the ass.

“Ah! Lindsay!” Michael protested, whirling around to glare at her. The witch just smirked.

“Settle down, idiot. If we’re going to keep your human around for a while, he needs to fit in. Otherwise the sirens will eat him alive.” She blithely ignored his muttered curse. “We can’t get him back to the isles until the next ship passes by anyway, so there’s your excuse.”

“How do we hide him, then?” Michael questioned glumly. “Bad enough I had to leave him with _Meg_ of all people-”

Lindsay visibly startled, giving him a long look.

“You left _your_ human with a _siren_?”

“I left him with Meg,” Michael defended himself. “And he’s not _my_ anything.”

“Oh boy,” Lindsay murmured, shaking her head. “Lead the way. This, I have to see.”

 

* * *

 

Lindsay was honestly surprised at the sight they were met with as they broke the surface. She loved Meg wholeheartedly, but she knew just as well how deep her wicked streak went. She wasn’t as overtly cruel as some sirens, but then again, this was a human. _Prey_.

And yes, the human’s eyes were glazed over as Meg cooed sweet words at him, trilling with laughter and a sing-song lilt to her voice. But he was far from gone - he blushed and blustered and teased her right back.

Maybe even more telling was the fact that Meg, too, was blushing.

Curious. Maybe his potential bond with Michael made him semi-immune? Though she couldn’t see how. The magic was cast upon Michael himself and not his future mate, and a siren’s voice had a particular effect on humans. Combined with an entire shoal of them playing not too far away, he should be mindlessly blissed out at this point.

Meg cupped the human’s face as he turned to look away, back towards where the other sirens’ voices were rising in a chorus. Her next words came out more forcefully and fully imbued with her inherent magic. His face blanked out and a silly smile stretched across his face as he leaned into the siren. Next to her Michael stiffened.

“Oi!” he exclaimed, looking annoyed. He surged forward, swimming ahead to get between them.

Lindsay hang back, watching keenly. That… had been unexpected. Meg’s thrall seemed to work stronger on the human than her brethren’s combined. It might be proximity, and yet… Something niggled in the back of her mind, making her believe that it wasn’t quite that.

“Hey!” Meg protested as Michael shoved her, trying to get between her and the human. It would have worked, too, if the blond wasn’t clinging to the siren. His gaze alighted on Michael and his eyes cleared instantly, his dreamy smile solidifying into something more genuine. Another point in favour for their theory, really.

“Michael! You’re back!” he exclaimed, loosening his hold on Meg and reaching out for Michael’s shoulder instead. The shark squinted at him for a second before relaxing, wrapping an arm around the human’s waist and tugging him close, away from the siren.

Lindsay drifted closer, watching Michael try to subtly fuss over his human. Meg caught her looking and rolled her eyes hard. Lindsay grinned back.

Yeah. It was only subtle if you didn’t know Michael covered his concern by shouting.

“-need to be careful, you moron!” Michael yelled, shaking the human by the shoulders.

“But Michael!” the blond protested, mangling the shark’s name awfully. “You said I was safe with her!”

“I told her to keep an eye on you, doesn’t make her fucking safe for you!” Michael bit out through clenched teeth. “She’s a fucking siren!”

The human stared at Michael with wide-eyed innocence.

“Why did you leave me alone with her, then?”

Michael sputtered, rendered speechless. Lindsay decided to intervene before he could dig himself any deeper. Michael would rather chew off his own fins than admit that he trusted any siren, even Meg.

“If you could keep it down before the others nearby get curious enough to investigate, that’d make things easier,” Lindsay scolded, hitting Michael over the head. “Subtlety, Michael.”

“I can be plenty subtle!” Michael scowled.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Meg scoffed, sidling up to the sea witch. She greeted her with a kiss to the cheek. “Hey, Linds.”

“Hello Meg.” Lindsay smiled fondly, before turning back to the human. “I hear you need some help.”

“Well.” The blond shrugged. “I guess I’m kinda shipwrecked so… Any chance one of you could swim me back inland?”

“No can do,” Meg shook her head instantly. “The locals see us, we’re dead. We barely managed to convince them they were imagining things last time.”

The human looked at her, confused. “But… Why do you hide in the first place?”

Michael scowled, his tail lashing through the water agitatedly. Lindsay exchanged a pointed look with Meg, frowning.

“Humans don’t generally react well when we reveal our existence. The last time…” Meg explained delicately, grimacing.

“It was bad,” Michael spat, his fingers digging into the human’s side, causing the blond to yelp. “Humans are cruel - they hunt us, kill us indiscriminately. They-” Michael broke off, swallowing hard.

“It was bad,” Lindsay agreed softly. “Returning you home won’t be easy. We’ll have to wait for the next ship to find you believably floating on the wreckage.” She hesitated, carding her blunt nails through her pink hair. “But you can’t stay with us like this either.”

The human stared at her mutely, eyes wide. Overwhelmed.

“My kin will rip you apart,” Michael admitted softly, turning the human to face him. “They won’t hesitate. After everything humans have done to us…”

“And mine makes a sport out of drowning your kind, as you might have noticed,” Meg added flippantly, but there was something tight around her eyes.

“You’re saying I can’t stay here,” the blond said slowly, giving them a wild look. “But I can’t go home either.”

“Exactly,” Lindsay piped up. “Which is why I’m here. I have a solution, if you agree.”

“If I agree?” The human laughed, a strained and broken sound. “What choice do I have, really?”

“Gavin,” Michael started, then hesitated. Meg reached out and caught his hand, squeezing it gently.

“Look, we’ll try to get you out of this safe, but you’re more than lucky Michael was feeling generous when he fished you out. As it is, he’s going to pay the price for option number three,” Lindsay stated seriously. “Which involves magic to make you fit in properly.”

She looked at Michael, and he nodded firmly.

“Right.” Gavin licked his lips nervously. “Thanks, I guess.”

Michael smiled crookedly at the human. Lindsay laughed softly, rubbing her hands.

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” she declared. “First, that needs to go.”

She blew into her cupped hands, then pointed at the human’s legs. Green mist coalesced in her hands, drifting down to envelope Gavin’s lower body. Lindsay clapped her hands together, the sound echoing like thunder through the cove. A shower of golden sparks settled on Gavin’s tanned skin, and the green mist flashed brightly before dissipating. In its wake it left the human with a mottled green tail, golden highlights littering the sides.

Meg whistled appreciatively.

The shoal nearby craned curious heads to see what was causing the commotion, but stayed well away from such an obvious display of magic. Gavin was clinging to Michael, tail twitching wildly, unused to the appendage as the human was. The shark had his hands full staying above the surface with all of Gavin’s struggling.

Without blinking, Lindsay lashed out, her nails catching the side of the human’s throat. Three scratches appeared and reddened, growing bigger. Drops of blood started turning into little scales, the gashes shivering with each breath he took. Not waiting for the transformation to finish, she repeated the process on the other side. Just in time, too, as Michael lost the fight to keep Gavin still. The human dropped underwater, thrashing wildly.

They shot each other a quick look, before diving down after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update by the end of July, but no promises :)

**Author's Note:**

> Plaindealingvillainess made a beautiful [aesthetic](http://plaindealingvillainess.tumblr.com/post/146429707077) to go with this story! (Please shower her with love and compliments)  
> And now with amazing [fanart](http://miss-ingno.tumblr.com/post/152153311377/soulfishie-for-miss-ingno-s-birthday-from-her) by the lovely soulfishie!


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